


Wrecked

by LittleSweetCheeks



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-05-29 02:06:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6354475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSweetCheeks/pseuds/LittleSweetCheeks
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bad weather on a case leads to some unfortunate results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“We have a doozy this time,” Garcia started as she pulled up their next case on the monitor. “Central Florida has experienced two murders at almost the same exact time, one week apart.”

“Two?” Morgan asked.

“The fear that the number will continue to rise and they have asked for help. The lead sheriff’s biggest concern is the size of the possible suspect pool.” She pulled up a map that had a shaded area on it. “This area is the heart of the tourism area. People come to stay in this area to go to the theme parks, beaches, and all the other goodies there are in Florida. There is an equal chance our Unsub is foreign as there is they are American.”

“So we have a large pool then.” Reid added.

“It gets worse,” she countered. “Most of the houses in this area are transient lodging. Most of the houses are licensed as individual hotels, people can rent them for a night or more. Of the houses that are properly licensed, some are managed by the homeowner directly, some use one of the hundreds of management companies, some use unlicensed companies. Then there are the homes that aren’t properly licensed and do all their business under the table. “

“That leaves a limitless number of potentials. There is no way to weed through everyone.” Rossi added.

Garcia nodded, “The sheriff also said it could be an employee for any one of the thousands of service companies related to those houses. Lawn people, pool cleaners, house cleaners, A/C techs, the list is endless. And again, there is a good chunk of each of those that is unlicensed and hard to track.”

“Is unlicensed business that common there?” Reid asked.

“It appears so.”

Hotch closed his files, “We will be wheels up in three hours. We will fly down tonight, get settled, and hit the ground running in the morning. “ Everyone moved to leave the room, “Garcia? Could you start searching for all of the known people who were in each of the neighborhoods the week leading up to each murder? Let’s start by seeing if there is a pattern there?”

“Sure thing. I will get started on that and let you know.” She hurried out of the room.

\---

The team stepped down onto the tarmac and into the sweltering Florida heat. Every one of them pulled a face as the heat and moisture registered.

“Welcome to Florida, folks,” one of the deputies greeted, “I know how this weather feels when you’re not used to it. Just drink plenty of water and you should do okay. My name is Dan Spaulding, this is Joel Sanchez. We’re gonna show you to your place for the night and then in the morning we’ll show you to where everything is set up.” Spaulding motioned the team to the waiting SUVs. “It’s a multi-jurisdictional…delight.”

Sanchez snickered, “On the verge of ‘too many cooks’ if you know what we mean.” He ducked into their squad car.

The team piled into the two loaner SUVs and followed the Deputies to where they would be staying. After an hour of driving, the caravan of vehicles pulled into a subdivision, the squad car pulled to a stop in front of a house and the deputies got out and waited. Hotch and Morgan guided their vehicles onto the drive and got out.

“This is it. Here’s the keys, five bedrooms, three bathrooms. The Boss says to make yourselves at home.”

“We usually stay in a hotel.” Hotch stated.

“Well, around here, this is better. Some of the hotels have become more like long term lodging for homeless, that sort of thing. There is a grocery store less than a mile one way, maybe two miles the other.”

Hotch turned and stared at the yellow two story house, then at his team. “Thoughts?”

“It’s all good Hotch.” JJ patted his arm and she passed him, taking the key and heading inside. “A/C works!” She called back to the others.

Reid, Emily, and Morgan made a beeline to follow her in.

Once inside with their bags, everyone set to nosing around the place. Downstairs had two bedrooms, one with queen sized bed, the other was the master suite which had a king sized bed. Upstairs were two rooms done up in Hawaiian beach themes with twin beds, and a third room with another queen. Rossi immediately declared the master suite his and deposited his things. JJ and Emily took the larger room with a set of twin beds, while Morgan and Reid took the other two upstairs rooms. Hotch settled for the downstairs room by the front door.

Emily poked around the kitchen, “It’s fully stocked with pans, dishes, everything! We need to make up a shopping list for a couple days, just the basics.”

JJ stepped in from the back deck. “There’s a pool, and a hot tub. I wish we could stay like this everywhere. This is so much better than a hotel.”

Rossi joined Emily in the kitchen, “Let’s make that list and we’ll run to the store.”


	2. Chapter 2

Three days later, the team had a third body and had narrowed down their suspect pool slightly. They had ruled out anyone who had not been in the area during the time of all three murders. They had split up, each heading a separate group of officers, canvassing all of the subdivisions in their target zone, getting the word out that someone was targeting women who seemed to be there on vacation. News of the murders was doing nothing good for the local economy, but it was helping their case. A number of people vacated the area early, or simply cancelled their plans. The owners and management companies were angry at the effect it was having on their bottom line. The long days in the humid weather were taking their toll on all of the team. 

Morgan had attempted to get in an evening run, but the humidity made it hard to go as far as he would have liked. He re-entered the house and found Emily, JJ and Reid on the living room floor, with files spread around them. “Where’s Rossi and Hotch?” He asked.

“Rossi is in the hot tub, Hotch is…I’m not really sure where he went.” Emily replied.

Morgan made his way out the back door and into the darkness and found Rossi quietly contemplating the stars.

“How was the run?”

“Decent. How’s the water?”

“Decent. JJ was right, we need to find a set-up like this more often.”

Morgan sat in a chair on the deck, “I was thinking about these murders. These three women. All of them were blitzed and the strangled while they were already unconscious. What if we aren’t looking for an adult?”

Rossi tipped his head and pondered for a minute, “Have you ran this past the others?”

“Not yet. I was looking for Hotch.”

“He went for a walk. Needed to clear his head. I think the young officers in his group were a bit more groupie that he’s used to. He wouldn’t have gotten far.”

Morgan nodded and headed back inside, stopping to share his idea with the others. He then headed back out the front, trying to guess which way Hotch would have gone. To his left was the exit to the subdivision, not much that way; to his right was an area with a basketball court and some other things, Morgan headed that way. As he rounded the side of the small clubhouse, Morgan spotted a long form reclined on a swinging bridge on one of the play structures. “Comfortable?”

Hotch turned his head at the sound of his friend’s voice, “Closest thing to a hammock I could find. How was the run?”

“Sweaty, haven’t showered yet. Rossi said you had some issues with your group today?”

“You would have thought they were teenage girls at a concert.”

Morgan snorted a laugh.

“I just needed a minute of peace.” He sat up and rested his arms on the railing. “Did you need something?”

“I bounced an idea off the others, could the unsub be younger? We haven’t tracked the patterns of younger potentials.”

“I will let Garcia know to change the parameters.” Hotch stood and headed back toward the house. 

\---

Two days later they had the name of a suspect, and the start of a storm that really strived to be a tropical problem. The rain was coming down hard, causing near-zero visibility. The LEOs has warned them to avoid being on the road when they could. It seemed that no one knew how to drive in the rain. 

It was later in the afternoon, a group of LEOs has gone to check the school for their unsub, while Hotch, JJ, Emily, and Reid had gone to check his house and serve a warrant. The LEOs had struck gold at the school in the form of an angry teenage boy with a problem with the tourists who came in and acted like the locals were their servants. The team had struck gold with a pile of journals and some video logs of the boy. Morgan and Rossi had stayed at the precinct to keep track of everything going on and to start the interview when their suspect came in. The rain was still coming down in sheets, the wind was blowing and causing the SUV to tremble as Hotch drove. The puddles on the road weren’t draining away fast enough, causing risk for hydroplaning. The whole drive back, Hotch mumbled to himself that it was stupid to be on the road in this weather. 

In the back seat, JJ and Emily were silent, nervously watching out the windshield, Reid in the front was reading through the journals to see if he could find a specific trigger to the teen’s rage. No one noticed the semi entering the intersection, running a red light, until it was too late to swerve.


	3. Chapter 3

Consciousness returned in flashes.

Grey driving rain.

Flashes of orange construction barrels.

Traffic light.

Blast of an air horn.

Brakes.

Tires screaming as they failed to grip pavement.

Darkness.

\---

The pain was unbearable. The silence was deafening. Somewhere his brain processed that he hadn’t been alone in the vehicle. That he needed to check on everyone else. There was a feeling of hanging. A feeling that the rain pelting him was coming from the wrong direction. Suddenly his senses roared back to life and he groaned in pain. He cracked his eyes open just as his surroundings gained an eerie blue hue and the hard rain became only a deafening sound.   
Voices. A woman’s voice that he couldn’t place was in his personal space. Another voice sounded distant. “The driver is coming around, but he looks pinned. The passenger behind him is unresponsive but has a steady pulse. I can’t reach the others. There are four total in here.”

“Emergency responders are on their way, should only be a few minutes out.” The distant voice replied.

“Okay. There’s not a lot that can be done in the way of first aid until they arrive.” The woman’s voice got closer to him and he tried to crack one eye open. “Sir? You need to stay very still, help will be here in a minute. Is there someone who needs to know where you guys are?”

“Yeh…” He coughed out, “Yes…phone.” Talking was taking more effort that he expected. Even with his eyes closed he could feel the edges of blackness closing back in.

The woman patted his coat and found a phone. Flipping it open, she crossed her fingers and pressed redial to call back the last number.

“I swear I’m looking, but you have to give me more time than this! I know I say I work magic but it is ridiculous if you think I can look it up this fast!” A rapid fire string of statements came when the line connected.

“Hello?”

The woman on the other end froze. “Who are you and why do you have this phone?”

“My name is Aubrey and I am at the site of an accident. An eighteen wheeler plowed through a stoplight and hit an SUV. The owner of this phone was behind the wheel. There are three other people in the vehicle. The hospital will need any information you can provide.”

Across the line came a gasp and the sound of clicking. “Oh. My God. Ohmygodohmygodohmygod.” A clearing of her throat. “My name is Penelope Garcia, I am a tech analyst for the FBI. The four people in that vehicle are FBI agents. I will need to know what hospital they are going to. There are two other members of the team somewhere down there, I will be getting ahold of them now.” She took a shuddering breath, “Can you tell me who else is in the vehicle so I know who I need to call?”

Aubrey glanced down into the SUV. “Front passenger is a young man long hair…”

“Spencer Reid. Please let them know, no narcotics.”

Aubrey nodded and then realized the other woman couldn’t see her, “Sure. In the back are two women…”

Garcia cut her off again, “The blonde is Jennifer Jereau and the other is Emily Prentiss. Jennifer goes by JJ.”

“And the driver? He came too for a minute and then passed out again. Seemed like he was fighting to stay awake.”

There was a snort, “I believe it. That’s our unit chief, Aaron Hotchner.” Garcia could hear sirens approaching. “Is that help?”

“Yes.”

“Please keep this phone on you for now, I’m going to reach the other two.”

“I will call you when I know which hospital.”

\---

Morgan and Rossi were going through boxes of correspondence when his phone rang. He put it on speaker, “What’s up Sweetness?”

She was quiet a moment, “Is Rossi with you?”

“Yeah, he’s right here.”

“You guys need to go. There was an accident.”

The two men stared at the phone and then each other as she relayed what she knew.

\---

Hours later Morgan was pacing the hall by the waiting room when the sound of heels on tile echoed their way. He looked up to see Garcia rushing toward him.

“What do we know?”

“I haven’t seen them yet. The nurse came out and given the situation, they’ve all been roomed in the same pod in the ICU. Individual rooms, but together. The doctors should be out soon.” No sooner had he spoke than a man in scrubs appeared in the doorway, Rossi stood to join them.

“I’m Dr Pan. I’ve conferred with the other physicians and what I can tell you so far is your friends are very lucky. The driver, Mr Hotchner? He sustained the worst injuries. There are some concerns about swelling around his spine at his neck, so for now he will remain braced. He is sedated and on a ventilator as a precaution until the swelling subsides. He also has substantial bruising to internal organs as well as cuts and bruises over most of his body.  
Mr Reid and Mrs Jereau came out the best. Concussions, whiplash from the rollover. Mr Reid has a broken leg from being pinned, Mrs Jereau an arm. They are coming around now and once they are awake we will assess further.  
Ms Prentiss has extensive bruising, broken arm and ribs, and a bruised lung. We are watching her mainly to prevent one of the ribs from puncturing her lung. For now everyone is stable.”

“When can we see them?”

The doctor smiled. “I will take you to them. We have a policy of one guest at a time so please, only one of you in any one room at a time.” He led them to where their friends lay battered.


	4. Chapter 4

Morgan was watching the monitors when Reid’s eyes opened. “Hey Pretty Boy, how do you feel?”

“Like I got hit by a truck.”

Morgan snorted, “So exactly how you should feel then. The brass has sent another team to finish the case. We are all staying here until everyone can travel home. Do you remember anything?”

“Rain.” He stopped to clear his throat and have a sip of water, “It was raining so hard and the road construction, Hotch had commented on it not being really safe to be out on the roads.”

“He was right. A semi blew through a light and rolled you guys. Front driver’s side took most of the impact.”

“How’s Hotch?”

“In a drug induced coma. It’s wait and see.”

“And the girls?”

“Rossi and Garcia are with each of them now. We are going to rotate here soon. I think Penelope is headed here next.” He watched as Reid struggled to keep his eyes open. “Rest. It will help you get better faster.”

The younger man nodded and drifted off.

\---

Emily was trying the ‘breathe through the pain’ approach when Rossi stepped in.

“Refusing drugs?” He raised one eyebrow.

“For now. How are the others?”

“Reid and JJ are awake. Bruises and broken bones, everyone will heal.”

Emily noticed the partial answer for what it was, “And Hotch?”

“We don’t know yet. There are a lot of things that are touch and go.” He sat in the chair by her bed, “Penelope flew in, and she is with JJ right now. The doctor thinks JJ and Reid will be able to get out of here in a day or two. They want to do some more tests to check for internal injuries though. But Hotch…they have him in a coma and on a ventilator. He has swelling that they are watching.” A knock at the door drew their attention.

“Switch time,” Morgan stated, “Garcia is with Reid.”

Rossi nodded as he vacated his chair, “I will go check on JJ then.”

Morgan gave Emily a big grin and sat in the seat Rossi had just left. “So Princess, do I get to sign your cast?”

“Do I trust what you will write on it?”

“Probably not.” He grinned,” Rossi filled you in?”

“Yeah. Hopefully they can let the rest of us go tomorrow. That would be nice. I would really rather be in a real bed to recover.”

“I hear you. We will see what we can do.”

\---

JJ was finishing a call to Will when Rossi stepped in, “Has there been any news about the driver of the semi?”

“Not yet. Weather obviously played a factor in this mess.”

“Well, I’m going to try to get some rest if you want to go sit with Hotch. Penelope will no doubt be back through anyway.”

“You and Emily look like two halves of a set you know. Writing reports is going to be fun for a while for you, Emily doesn’t get the same excuse though.”

“At this rate I bet the whole team gets stand down. Over half the team has been benched.”

Rossi chuckled and nodded as he left to sit with his friend.

\---

The next afternoon Rossi, Morgan and Garcia helped JJ, Reid and Emily into the SUV and took them back to the house. Once the trio was settled on couches, everyone relaxed. Garcia seemed to permanently look as though she was about to cry for them but ready to help out for their six weeks of partial immobility.

JJ and Emily had spent the morning “tattooing” each other’s arm casts and had promised to do Reid’s leg cast as well. 

“The doctor caught me in the hall earlier, about Hotch,” Rossi started, “They are talking about transferring him to a bigger facility. They are worried about some swelling in his brain, not a lot, but they think his head hit hard on the side of the car in the initial impact and then continued to get banged around as the car rolled.”

“There may be a brain injury that they didn’t see initially.”

“I also spoke to Strauss and we are all on two weeks paid leave starting from yesterday. This house has been settled till then at least. At that point they are going to reassess how much longer everyone will be out. Obviously Morgan, Garcia and I can technically at least go back to desk work now, but since we’re all here and we are helping you guys, the higher ups figured we should stay. At the two week point that will probably change, along with Emily and Reid going back to desk work. JJ, I think they will look at how productive you can be then too. They were thinking of just flying us all back as a group sans Hotch possibly.”

“We can’t leave him here alone!” Emily exclaimed, “Can you imagine waking up and we’re all gone?”

Rossi raised his hands, “Let’s see where we are in two weeks. For now, Reid is now downstairs where Hotch was sleeping, we will keep in touch and try and relax.”

\---

That night the stillness of the house was disturbed by the sound of the ringing of a call phone. Rossi rolled over and answered, “Hello.”

“This is Nurse Adley at the hospital, I’m calling about a patient Aaron Hotchner?”

“Yes? What’s wrong?” He sat up in bed and turned on a light.

“There is no need to come right now, he is stable, but earlier tonight Mister Hotchner suffered a seizure and then a series of small strokes. We wanted to let you know right away. Tomorrow he will be transferred to a larger facility.”

“How does this affect his recovery outlook?”

The nurse paused, “There has been no other change in his status aside from the seizure. From a medical standpoint it did not last very long and it resolved before medication was able to be administered, though we have run tests and have started treatments to prevent any future activity.”

“Okay.” Rossi sighed, “I will be there first thing after rounds in the morning. Could you make a note that I would like to speak to the doctor?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Thank you. Thank you for calling.” He hung up.

“What happened?” A soft voice asked from the darkness of the doorway.

Rossi looked up to see Reid hovering and waved him in. “A seizure and a series of small strokes. They didn’t really say how it affected his outcome.”

“It’s hard to say. He could bounce back and just experience some weakness or it could be extensive or anything in between.”


	5. Chapter 5

Nine days later they started getting answers. Emily and Garcia were sitting watch, chatting about a book they’d both recently read when movement caught their eye. They both froze, watching, as Hotch’s eye’s cracked a bit, then slowly fluttered open. Garcia got up and moved to his side, taking his hand. “Hello, Sir. It’s good to see your eyes open again.” She said softly.

He squeezed her hand hard, a slightly confused look on his face.

She sat on the edge of his bed, “We’re in Florida, there was a car accident. Emily and JJ and Spence were with you, but they’re all okay now. Emily is here, see?” Emily stepped into his line of sight. “We’ve been very worried about you.”

“I’m going to get the doctor, Pen, I’ll be right back.” Emily stepped out.

“I know it’s scary waking up and not knowing what has happened,” She continued gently, “The wreck was ten days ago, you suffered some broken bones and a head injury. We’ve all been taking turns visiting. Em and Jay each have a broken arm, Reid has a broken leg.”

The doctor bustled in with some nurses, “Let’s see about getting this tube out, then we will start assessing you Mister Hotchner.” They busied themselves with the task at hand, then did an assessment of his mental state. “I believe you have started the slow process of recovery. Some details only time will tell.”

When the doctor left, Emily sat on the edge of the bed so she was in his line of sight. “Everyone else is on their way. In a few days some of us will likely have to head back to DC for work. I was surprised Strauss allowed Rossi, Morgan and Garcia the time off, but she did. Reid’s and my injuries don’t keep us from deskwork.”

Penelope snorted, “He looks like a three legged deer on his crutches though.” Both ladies giggled. 

“Wha…Ja…k…ink?” It took Hotch a minute to get it out. 

“That you got hurt, but you will be okay. Rossi’s been staying in touch with Jessica.” 

He processed her words for a minute, “Wha…app’n?”

They exchanged a glance before Emily answered, “You were driving, it was raining, a semi ran a light and hit the SUV.”

He thought for a minute, “Where…we?”

Garcia held her breath as Emily answered him, “Florida. For a case.” She patted his arm, “You’ve been through a lot, rest, I can tell you’re getting tired already. We’ll be back soon.” She and Garcia stepped out into the hall. They found the doctor at the nurse’s desk. “What do we need to know, Doctor? He asked the same questions a couple times and his speech is…off.”

“Given the initial injury and the small strokes, slurring and stilted speech is to be expected. In time it should get better, enough to where it isn’t really noticeable. Some patients still experience it when they’re exhausted, but it’s hard to say how affected he’ll be. The confusion should clear up in a few days. His brain is still recovering. Now we will start watching for possible symptoms and try and figure out how long they’ll last.”

“Like what?” Garcia asked.

“Amnesia, concentration, confusion, communication issues, emotional changes, impulsivity, and anxiety are possible. There is a whole list and it includes physical manifestations like balance problems, headaches, dizziness, light sensitivity. He could tire easily or pass out. Or. He could walk out of here soon and experience nothing at all. With the strokes he had he could have right side weakness, difficulty with speaking and listening, reading and writing. It is the side of the brain that handles things like math, analytical stuff. Or again, nothing may be effected at all. We will be assessing him regularly, unobtrusively. For now just be supportive and loving. If he asks a question, answer, if he is attempting a task, encourage. We don’t want him to get frustrated, but we also don’t want him to feel smothered. He may get angry, lash out. Just remind him you are still there for him.”

Emily and Garcia nodded and thanked him. They turned back down the hall just as the rest of the team came around the corner.

“How is he?” Rossi jumped in first.

“Alive, awake, for now that’s enough.” They led the rest back to Hotch’s room.

\---

That evening a nurse and orderly arrived and helped Hotch into a recliner. “Whe ever’one back?” 

“Morgan and I have to be back Monday,” Rossi answered, “Reid, JJ and Emily have to see the Bureau doctors on Wednesday to get cleared for desk work. There isn’t any reason why the rest of us can’t be pushing paper. Brass has us off rotation until casts are off so instead we are going to be getting all of the incoming files, not just our usual portion.”

Hotch wrinkled him brow in thought, “Cia back?” His eyes drifted across the room to the analyst and then back to his friend.

“She pulled some strings with the IT department and will be allowed to work remotely. She has to be available to the other analysts with the other teams if they need help. For now she will stay until you are able to come back to Virginia.”

“She go rk too.” He tried for a stern look.

Rossi laughed, “You go right ahead and tell her that.” The others looked up to see what was funny, “Garcia, come here a minute.”

She came and sat with them, “Yes?”

Rossi motioned with his hand for his friend to talk.

“Ou go rk too. No tay ere, I’m kay.”

She cocked an eyebrow at him, “Excuse me if I don’t take your word for it that you’re just fine to be left all alone hundreds of miles from home. At the very least I’m here to escort you back to DC, so you can just give up any ideas to the contrary right now.”

“I’m th boss y kn ow.” He tried.

“Keep telling yourself that,” she patted his arm and returned to the others.

“See, she isn’t going anywhere. Don’t worry, she’ll be plenty busy during the day. She still has to be available and still has her own paperwork to do. She’ll practically be working nine to five.”


	6. Chapter 6

Sunday afternoon the five members of the team departed for home, leaving Hotch and Garcia in Florida. The doctors had already started Hotch in physical therapy and had him up and walking with a walker regularly. His speech was already improving, though still slurred, and he was showing some right side weakness, but everyone was pleased with his progress so far.  
By Wednesday there was talk of allowing him to try and go home for a few days, back to the house that was now privately being rented for Garcia to stay in. If he could manage a few days puttering around safely, there was talk of letting him join his team back in Virginia shortly. Hotch was eager to share this news with Garcia when she arrived that afternoon. She always stopped by first thing in the morning before his first therapy and then she returned at 5:30 and stayed though dinner. He watched the clock, only 5:00, a half hour before she would arrive. He decided that was plenty of time to update Jessica so he dialed the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Jess, it’s me.” He was glad his speech was nearly normal.

“How it everything going down there Aaron?”

“I may be home in a week or so. They want to see how I manage for a few days here, then they will be shipping me home.”

“That’s great! Jack’s not here at the moment, but I’ll tell him when he gets back.”

“He’s not there? Where is he?”

“He had a project for school and Emily and Spencer came by and took him for supplies and research. Your team is great Aaron. One of them has been round every night since they got back so far.”

“Really?”

“You didn’t know?”

“No. No one has said anything.”

“Oh, well, Dave is picking him up for soccer on Friday night and then Saturday for the game.”

“What is the project he’s working on?”

“It’s about stars and constellations. I don’t know how they knew unless he said something earlier this week. I figured he would at least learn a little bit.”

“Yeah, he will. Well, Garcia should be here shortly so I will let you go enjoy the quiet.”

“No problem Aaron, keep me updated.”

“I will. Thanks Jess, really, I mean it.”

“You’re welcome Aaron. We can’t wait to have you home.”

Hotch hung up the phone and set to flipping through the channels on the TV. Ten minutes later, Garcia knocked on the door and greeted him with a smile.

“I got caught in the hall by someone. How was your day? I was told you have good news to share?” She took her usual seat.

“They are talking about letting me go home to the place you’re renting for a few days. See how it goes. Then if that’s okay, we are headed back to DC.” He smiled at her.

“Seriously? I knew you were coming along great, but they’re letting you out of here?”

“I have passed every milestone they want me to. I am able to do for myself everything I need to to get to leave.”

Just then Hotch’s doctor appeared at the door, “I thought I saw Penelope come in here. Has he shared his news?”

Penelope nodded, “Yes, he has.”

“Is the place you’re staying conducive to this plan? No stairs to climb, walk in shower, that sort of thing?”

“Yes, it has two first floor bedrooms and two full bathrooms on the first floor as well, both with walk in showers.”

“Good. You’ll both still need to watch for moments of weakness, fatigue, no risk taking. We don’t want a slip and fall and then end up with a real injury. And keep in mind that there are things that could still show up as you heal. The brain is a vast and mysterious thing, sometimes it is hard to predict what will happen down the road.” He turned to Hotch, “You will be sent home with that walker. I expect that you will use it until a proper physician says otherwise. I understand the frustration, but let your body heal at its own pace. If you think you’re ready to upgrade, discuss it with the doctor first.”

Hotch nodded in understanding.

“Now,” He turned back to Garcia, “I was thinking, PT is scheduled for the first half of the day tomorrow, we can assess one final time then and then you can pick him up after lunch?”

“Sounds like a plan. I will make sure anyone who may need me knows I’m out for the day after lunch then.” With that, the doctor excused himself and Garcia turned to Hotch. “I’ll bring your go-bag tomorrow so you can change. I’m guessing you have mostly suits though, am I right?”

“Probably. I should have a couple pair of sweats in there to at least get me out the door.”

“Okay, I can always pop out and pick up a few things and the house has a washer and dryer. Oh, did you pack swim trunks? I bet the pool or hot tub would be nice to enjoy for you. Tonight I will hit the grocery store and make sure we have food for you to eat.”

“Isn’t there already food? Haven’t you been eating?”

“A little, I haven’t really been in the mood to make real meals. And I’ll make a batch of those cookies you love. Have you called Jessie and Jack yet?”

“Before you got here. Emily and Reid had taken Jack to work on a project about constellations, so he wasn’t there, but I talked to Jessica for a bit and let her know what was happening.”

“Good. So, now that freedom is within your grasp, what do you feel like doing?”

“What?”

“Well, you will be free to check out local Florida for a few days and as long as you aren’t wandering around for hours, I figured we could get you out in the fresh air. What do you think?”

“I think it sounds great. I’m not sure how much I can actually do, but we can entertain the idea of seeing something. I haven’t asked, what kind of car did you end up renting? Not a convertible I hope.”

Garcia grinned at him, “Not to worry, it was tempting, but with the weather being so all over the place I didn’t see the point. I got a small SUV, better for navigating in the rain and it can fit my gear and anything else we may have needed while here.”

Hotch studied her face a moment, reading the fears she, and likely the rest of the team, had had about his recovery. “Well, I’m leaving mostly under my own steam, no ‘anything else’ required.”

“And everyone is so glad about that. So. What will you feel like for dinner your first night out of here? I can get just about anything. I have this awesome neighbor there at the house, she told me where to go to pick up fresh seafood and meat. We could have a proper feast.”

“Whatever you feel like cooking, Garcia, so long as it isn’t hospital food it will be great.”


	7. Chapter 7

Penelope spent the whole morning watching the clock. She had spoken to the other analysts she’d been helping and they knew she could only be reached in dire emergency. She had spoken to the team earlier via video chat. Everyone was pulling traditional nine to fives for the time being, though Morgan had stepped up and was helping another of the teams with a case nearby. She had let them know the Hotch was getting out of the hospital today, which was a good sign for his long term recovery, and she promised to get everyone on video chat tonight once everyone was settled at home. Garcia had only been present for part of one of Hotch’s PT sessions, but it was enough for her to know to be prepared for anything once she picked him up. He was a private man and the accident had left him still weak and not up to his usual standard. She was expecting some frustration and maybe even embarrassment and anger in the coming days, but if they muddled through, he would get to go home where he would surely be more comfortable around Jack and Jessica and all of his usual surroundings.

Just after lunch, Garcia was waiting in Hotch’s room when he returned from PT, being pushed in his wheelchair by an orderly. He looked exhausted and she figured they pushed him extra hard today since he was getting discharged. “I remembered your go bag, Hotch. I hope you don’t mind, but I made sure everything you needed was in there. I’ll go find out how long until we’re out of here while you change.” She stepped out of the room and left him to his privacy.

An hour later paperwork was signed and they were ready to leave. When the orderly arrived again with the wheelchair, Hotch reluctantly accepted that it was policy. Garcia jumped at the opportunity to push him to the car. “You really don’t have to do this, Garcia.”

“Oh, but how often do I get the opportunity to push one of my guys around in the literal sense? The valet had the car parked close since I told him I was just picking you up.” She pushed him out into the Florida sunshine and over to the small blue SUV. Hotch managed to situate himself in the passenger seat while she loaded up the back. Finally they were ready to go, “Okay, Bossman, now to keep you alive and in one piece for a week. Think we can manage that?”

He smiled and nodded, “You know, Garcia, perhaps you should start calling me Aaron. We aren’t at work and it just feels weird to be Sir or Bossman or Hotch right now.”

“I’ll try. You don’t have to keep calling me Garcia.” She maneuvered the car onto the main road, “I managed to get fresh shrimp for dinner, was told they’re great on the grill with pineapple and stuff and tonight after dinner, a video chat with the rest of the team has been scheduled. Other than that today is about R&R, a little sun maybe, and me making sure you don’t try anything you shouldn’t. Tomorrow I have to be on the computers all day working so you will be left without me hovering and doing all that stuff you hate.” 

He chuckled, “Computers? How many do you have here?”

“Only four.” They had reached the house. “Now, wait until I get the walker out please. While we are in Florida, let’s play by the doctor’s rules. Once you are back in Virginia, you can follow or ignore to your heart’s delight. Deal?”

“Deal.” He waited patiently for her to come around and help him out. It wasn’t the first time any of them had seen Penelope in ‘mother hen’ mode, though usually it was one of the younger agents on the receiving end. He knew enough to know she was fiercely dedicated to nurturing and helping and anything that stood in the way or tried to deter her efforts was strongly and sometimes aggressively fought. As Hotch slid out of the small SUV he wobbled slightly, his right side still slightly weaker than normal. The walker was going to get old quick, but he understood its purpose and would use it without complaint. For now.

\---

It wasn’t a long walk from the car to the house, but Hotch was already wearing out by the time he dropped onto the couch. He felt guilty watching Garcia bring things in, but he put his head back and followed her movements with half-closed eyes. Sometime later, her felt her nudging him awake. He hadn’t even realized he’d drifted off.

“Sorry, but you’re due for meds and I figured the bed would be a better place for you to nap. This couch is pretty and great for watching TV, but it’s not really nap-worthy.” She was sitting on the coffee table across from him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I dozed off. I should get up and move around a little. I don’t want my sleep cycles screwed up any more than they already are.” He looked around the room and took in the signs of Penelope Garcia all over the main room of the house. “How much stuff did you bring?”

She smiled, “Not much. When I had a neighbor ship some tech down, I asked for stuff to spruce up the place. If you want, you can come sit outside. There’s a few hours before I need to start on dinner and I was going to take advantage of the time and do some swimming. It’s a small pool, but I can do a few laps, get the blood flowing.”

He rubbed his face and sat up, “That sounds nice, I think I might.”

“The sun will help. I’ll be out in a few.” She went to her room and shut the door.

Hotch gathered his phone and walker and stared at his drink a minute. There was no way he could get that outside too. “Penelope?”

“Yes?” She responded through the door.

“Could you bring my drink out when you come?”

“Sure, not a problem.”

He navigated his way slowly to the small table outside in the shade. Even there it felt a hundred degrees. He hadn’t realized how much he did as he moved through his day until some of his abilities were limited. Turning the doorknob had been a bit more of a challenge than he’d expected as well as the step down onto the deck. It was the little things he never thought about that were catching him the most off guard. 

Ten minutes later, Garcia emerged carrying their drinks and some snacks as well as her cell phone, a towel, and a bottle of sunscreen. Hotch watched as she headed for the water wearing a black vintage-cut one piece swimsuit. He watched in silence as she did various laps for a while, her head only popping up when her phone buzzed on the table. “Could you look at that?”

He reached over and tapped the phone awake, “It says Liam.”

“Oh,” she broke into a grin, “He can wait, I’ll text him in a few.” And with that she ducked back under the water. Several laps later she emerged from the water, patted dry and wrung out her hair before joining Hotch at the table. She quickly grabbed her phone and started typing, her grin growing. 

“So.”

“So?” She didn’t even look up.

“Who’s Liam?”

“Huh?” She looked at him finally.

“Who’s Liam?”

“A guy I’ve been seeing for about six months.”

“Six months? What happened to Sam?”

“His ex happened.” Her phone buzzed again and she blushed as she read the message.

“Liam is good?”

“Huh? Oh. Liam is great. I told him we might be back next week. He is wanting to make plans after I get back.” She typed some more and then put the phone down. “He’s not a techie, but he works with a lot of them. We met at a symposium in Baltimore for tech type stuff, he was there with a few co-workers and he looked so out of his depth. We bumped into one another on our way to one lecture, I’d heard it before so I asked if he wanted to play hooky and grab coffee. Coffee ended up being drinks instead and then drinks turned into dinner two nights later. Then as we talked we discovered we both lived in the same area, so dinner because a standing thing.”

“It’s serious then?”

“It’s getting there. I think you’d really like him. He would definitely fit in around the office, suit, tie, shiny shoes.”

“Sooo, nothing like Kevin.”

She studied him a moment, “You really didn’t like Kevin, did you?”

“He was a good employee, a hard worker, knowledgeable, efficient.”

She raised her eyebrows at him, “That is such a PC answer and totally not an answer at all. That’s not what I meant, and you know it. But it does answer my question.”

“I am not so stupid as to ever become involved in the happenings of someone else’s personal life. Especially any woman who works in the FBI. Unless I had knowledge that truly needed to be shared in an attempt to avoid physical harm, I stay out.”

“But I don’t carry a gun.”

“You really think I believe you’re harmless? I see what you do every day and I’m well aware of the things about which I should never ask. If any person on the team is happy and they are not in a situation that causes them physical or emotional or psychological harm, then who am I to deny them that thing outside of this job that they need? This job eats people up.”

She smiled at him, “Liam is great. I will have to drag him to one of our family dinners. Six months, I think it’s time for him to meet the other men in my life.”

“He hasn’t met Derek yet?” Hotch was a little surprised.

“Nope. They don’t even know the other exists yet. Liam knows I work for a special unit of the FBI and that I have to work weird hours because you guys travel. He also knows that I don’t like talking about my work. He knows I’m in Florida because a team member got seriously hurt and can’t travel yet. He’s wanting to fly down for the weekend.”

“I don’t have a problem with that. Take advantage of the time off, you guys could hit the beach for an afternoon of something.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want him to come down and make you feel uncomfortable.”

He reached across the table and patted her hand, “Tell him to come. There are quite a few flights from DC to Orlando daily and it’s only a couple hour flight. Like I said, if you’re happy, then you need to take the time.”

She smiled, “Okay, I will tell him.” She texted Liam and then put her phone down. “Do you want to head in yet?”

“Not yet, I’m rather enjoying the heat for now.”

“Okay, well, I’m going to change and start on dinner. I have to be up early to help another analyst with some searches. The doctor said you’re supposed to be supervised getting in and out of the shower, so please at least give me a heads up and don’t lock the doors. I will do my best to not smother if you play along, but you have to swear you will tell me if there’s anything you’re not up for, even if it’s something you think is silly.”

“I swear.” He gave her his best innocent face.

She shook her head as she went inside.


	8. Chapter 8

Hotch woke the following morning and carefully rolled to a sitting position. It took his body a while to get moving, so he stretched and flexed his hand and foot, hoping the strength would eventually return. As he carefully made his way to the bathroom, he could see Garcia already hunched over her computers working. He got ready for the day and joined her at the table, sitting out of view of the camera. Eventually she disconnected the call and turned to him, “Good morning. How did you sleep?”

“Good. Better than at the hospital. How long have you been up?”

“Two hours. I’m helping sort through parameters for a situation in Norfolk. They’ve already commandeered Morgan to help and word is Reid is getting itchy to get in on the action. You can knock us down, but you can’t keep us down for long.”

He nodded in understanding. Their team was very dedicated to the job. Minor injuries were more of a nuisance than anything. The brains were willing, but the bodies weren’t always able.

“What would you like for breakfast? I have oatmeal or corn flakes or toast with orange marmalade.”

“Toast would be great. And some coffee?” He hated asking for anyone to do things for him, but he didn’t want a fight.

“Coming right up.” She went into the kitchen.

“Can I ask about the Norfolk situation?”

“You can ask,” She cheeked, “Someone is setting small fires. There have been eight so far in a two mile radius. Every other day.”

“Injuries?”

“None. And these aren’t vacant buildings. A shop before it opened, an office over lunch, another shop when it closed early one day. No one is there at the time.”

“Huh.” He pondered it while Garcia handed him his breakfast.

“Liam arrives in at six this evening. It will take him a half hour to drive from the airport. I was thinking about dinner at seven. The lady next door says there is an Italian restaurant nearby that delivers and their food is awesome. She dropped by a menu. Today though you are going to have to amuse yourself. I have a mountain of things to get through and I don’t want to have the powers that be breathing down my neck and not trusting me to work remotely in the future.”

Hotch nodded. “I will stay out of your way. I am supposed to do some exercises and then I will try to take a shower. Do you have plans for the weekend?”

“Liam wants to spend tomorrow at the beach, Sunday is still unknown. I was thinking we could all get an early start and be at the beach all day. It’s about a two hour drive so we could be there between eight and nine and stay till dinner. There are usually good restaurants along the beach, we can pick one and then drive home. It would be a long day, but I thought we could all use it.”

“You really want me to come along and be a third wheel?”

She gave him a smile, “You could never be a third wheel. And anyway, you have no business being left alone just yet.” She got up and took their plates to the sink as one of her computers started beeping. “Oh, that’s me. It’s go time.”

Hotch nodded and slowly got up and made his way to his room. He took his meds and did his exercises before laying on his bed to watch some TV. It felt weird hiding out in his room, but he didn’t want to be a distraction to Garcia and he didn’t really have anything else to do. After two episodes of a random show he decided to get cleaned up so he wouldn’t have to try and shower after Garcia’s friend arrived. Hotch pulled himself up and made his way through the kitchen to quietly let her know the plan. She reminded him to leave the door unlocked and went back to her work.

The bathroom wasn’t large, but it was large enough for him to navigate with the walker and after a few failed attempts to do so standing, he decided it would be best to sit to get undressed. Hotch got the shower set up and the water warming while he studied the size of the stall. It was decent size for one person, cream tile all the way to the ceiling. The door opened out and against the wall for ease of entry and access was over a small step. Once inside the stall though, there wasn’t anything to hold onto or sit on and his walker wouldn’t fit at all. Hotch decided that as long as he was careful, it wasn’t that big of a deal so he gingerly stepped in and began the slow process of soaping up.   
He managed his hair okay, his right arm did seem to fatigue sooner than the left. He worked his way down and everything went smoothly until he shifted to wash his legs. In the small stall, the task required he lift one knee up at a time to reach and while his left side remembered how to balance that way, it seemed his right did not. Before he knew it, he was toppling sideways and crashing down the slippery tile wall. 

There was a moment when he struggled to catch his breath and he tried to assess any injuries. The following moment, the bathroom door crashed open.

Garcia was just imputing data into the computer when she heard a crash from the front of the house. She froze a minute, trying to discern the cause of the sound before she remembered that Hotch had told her he was showering. She was up like a flash, tearing off her headset and bursting into the bathroom.

The door to the shower stall had pushed open, water was bouncing out in a fine spray and landing on the rug. Garcia yanked the door open the rest of the way and quickly turned the water off. As she assessed him for any obvious injury, she grabbed a towel and covered him in it, knowing he wouldn’t want to lay there exposed.

Hotch was mortified. His first attempt at independent tasks and now he was a wet, soapy, naked mess on the floor in front of one of his subordinates. And not just any subordinate, it just had to be one of the girls. “I think I’m okay.” He tried to roll to get on his hands and knees.

Penelope knelt down and pressed a hand into his shoulder. “Stay put Aaron. Just take a minute, there is no rush here. Get your bearings and then we’ll get you up.”

He couldn’t look her in the face. “We?”

“You’ll need help.” She kept one hand on his shoulder. “This will be easier if everything is as dry and possible. Promise you won’t move a minute?” She waited until he finally nodded, then she moved away for more towels. She sopped up the bulk of the water from the walls and floor before taking another towel and starting on Hotch.

“I’m fine. I can dry off once I’m out.”

She stopped and raised an eyebrow at him. 

He cleared his throat, “Thank you Penelope for helping me.”

“Much better.” She put the towel aside and stood. “Now, I’m going to help you up and we are going to get you seated over here on the toilet lid.”

“I…I’m not sure you can pull me up.”

“It’s all about taking it slow. First we’re going to turn you and get you sitting up, think we can manage that?”

“Yeah.” He started to roll and shift until Garcia had helped him into a seated position with his back against the wall.

“Now, we are going to get you up on your knees, then from there we will stand you up.” She waited for him to agree to the plan before taking him under the arms and helping him onto his knees. From there she helped him slowly to his feet. Once he was standing, they both realized that at some point in the process, his towel had dropped to the floor. Garcia became acutely aware that those wine fueled conversations on girls nights about the men on their team had been only slightly correct about their fearless leader. After a minute, she realized he was aware she was staring and she raised her eyes to his face. As she looked up, she couldn’t help but notice all of the scars and marks along his body.

After another minute, Hotch broke the silence, “May I have a towel?”

She nodded silently and handed over the requested item which he wrapped around his waist and then with her help, sat down. She knelt to dry his legs and feet. 

“I’m sorry. I forgot that I couldn’t balance that way.”

Garcia chewed her bottom lip a minute. “I’m here to help you.”

“How would Liam feel about you having to scrape your naked boss off the shower floor?”

She huffed out a chuckle. “I would hope he’s wise enough to realize I’m aiding an injured friend.”

He studied her a second, “I can see you thinking.”

“I umm…” She blushed and looked away, “I was wondering how I could get Em and Jayje to pay up without letting them know the details and without proof.”

“Pay up? For what?”

She shook her head, “You have to understand, when we have a girls night, everything is fair game and the drunker we get, the crazier some of our conversations get.”

He raised an eyebrow, “Go on.”

“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but you can’t follow me when I run away in a minute, so… There was this conversation one night, years ago. I can’t remember who brought it up but it was discussing Alpha personalities and grower versus shower and…And then we wondered who on the team was what and just how….much…there was to be had.” She covered her face as she blushed.

“Oh.” Several potential replies went through his mind, each one seemed worse than the last.

“We were drunk. They spent the night at my place and we got plastered. Em had helped Morgan with a hand to hand class and I can’t remember what she said had happened, but somehow we got onto the topic.” She turned to leave the room and he let her go.

Hotch sat and pondered this new information. He knew Haley and Jessica had on several occasions had conversations like that. They teased him mercilessly and said woman had those kinds of talks all the time. He had never applied that statement to the women on his team. Now he was wondering if every woman he knew had tried at some point to visualize him naked and he found he wasn’t at all comfortable with that prospect.

\---

Garcia spent lunch time locked in her room. She could make out Hotch in the kitchen puttering around. There were a few swears as he seemed to be making himself lunch. Just before time to return to her computers, there was a knock on her door.

“Penelope. I want to say one thing and then we will never discuss it again. Please let me know you’re listening.”

She swallowed, “Yes, I am.”

“We’re adults. I’d been told a long time ago that conversations like that were a normal part of women socializing. I made ham sandwiches for lunch, there is one by your seat. I’m going to sit and watch some TV and after that we’re going to simply go forward as if nothing happened earlier. Okay?”

She took a deep breath, “Yeah, okay.”


	9. Chapter 9

The afternoon was fairly uneventful. Garcia was busy working and Hotch relaxed on the couch watching TV. The doorbell finally rang at a quarter to seven and Garcia made a beeline to answer it. Hotch sat up and stretched and then waited. He didn’t want the man’s first impression of him to be with a walker. After a moment, Garcia returned with a blonde man wearing a polo and slacks. Nothing, he noted, like Kevin had been. This man definitely was used to being out on display and presented himself well.

“Liam Mitchell, this is Hotch, Aaron Hotchner. Aaron, this is Liam.”

Hotch stood carefully and extended his hand and was rewarded with a firm handshake. “Nice to meet you.”

“Thank you for allowing me to come down for the weekend.” Liam took the single chair near the kitchen. “We don’t get a lot of down time together so I’m looking forward to spending the weekend here. Penny said I wasn’t imposing.”

“No, we would have just been sitting around doing nothing. Soaking in the pool, that’s about it. I told her she should take advantage of the time away.”

Liam nodded and smiled. “I really appreciate it.”

Penelope sat on the loveseat across from Liam, “The food should be here in about fifteen minutes.”

Hotch reached for his walker, “I’m going to go get cleaned up.”

“Please be careful.” Garcia replied. Once he was out of the room, she crossed to join her boyfriend in his seat. “And now a proper hello.” She leaned in and kissed him.

“Are you sure I’m not in the way? I know you said he was recovering, but I guess I didn’t expect him to look like he’s recovering. Are you sure a day at the beach is a good idea?”

“If he wasn’t up for it, he would have said so. He insisted I invite you down. He really cares for all of his family and wants us happy.”

“If you’re sure.” He pulled her in for another long kiss. They finally broke apart when the doorbell rang.

“That would be dinner. Can you set the small table?”

“Sure.”

As she shut the front door, food in hand, Garcia knocked on Hotch’s door. “Hotch?”

“You can come in.”

She pushed the door open and gasped. He was sitting on the edge of the bed in just his sweatpants, shirt in hand. She could see bruises down one side from his earlier fall. “Are you okay?”

“Sore is all. A bit stiff trying to get my shirt back on.”

“Liam?” She called out, “Can you come get the food?”

“Sure hon.” A moment later he appeared in the doorway. He watched his girlfriend ease the shirt over the other man’s head and then help him get his arms in. He took in the scars and bruises along his body. “Are we setting this out buffet style?”

“Yeah, that was the plan.” She answered as she stepped away from Hotch. “Do you need anything for the pain?”

“My pills are in the kitchen on the counter. I’ll take a dose of the pain killers when I get in there.”

“Okay,” She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze, “I’ll get them out then.” She slipped out and back to the kitchen.

“Are you sure me being here is okay? He looks really rough.”

“We’ll talk later, okay?”

Liam nodded and sat down as everyone arrived at the table.

\---

Later that evening Garcia slipped into bed next to Liam, who was propped up with the TV on. “He’s asleep. The pills will keep him knocked out.”

“That totally sounded like you were talking about a child instead of an adult.”

She smiled sadly, “Yeah.”

“Is Aaron okay?”

“He will be.”

“Earlier. I saw all the bruises and scars.”

Garcia let the silence linger for several minutes. “He was attacked, years ago. He doesn’t generally let anyone see his scars. The bruises are from today. He fell in the shower.”

“He showered alone? Is that wise in his current condition?”

She smiled and planted a kiss on his cheek. “I love you. It was a tough call, but I was in the dining room and when he fell I went and helped him up. I didn’t want to push him and make him more embarrassed about the situation. Hotch is just about the epitome of Southern charm and respect.”

“I got that.” Liam leaned in and trailed his fingers down her side. “You’re a good friend, Pen.”

She giggled and squirmed as he ghosted over a ticklish spot, “Well, for tonight my friend responsibilities are over.”

“Are they now? And what, pray tell, do you think we should do then?”

“I have established already that the bed doesn’t squeak.”

Liam rolled so he was above his girlfriend and one hand slipped under her shirt. “Good to know.” He started to kiss down her neck. “The real question is can you be quiet?”

She sighed as his lips trailed down along her stomach and near her hip. “I will do my best.” She tangled her fingers through his hair as he pulled her panties down far enough to get to what he wanted. “Oh Liam, I have missed you.”

Liam set a pace with his tongue meant to drive her to the edge, but then backed off before she could tumble over. He crawled back up and planted a kiss on her lips. “Let’s do this together.”

She smirked and grabbed his length with one hand, giving it a tug and twist before guiding it to her entrance. They both moaned as he sank into her in one movement.

“Hard and fast or nice and slow?”

“Nice and slow I think.” She moaned softly again as he started moving. Even with his slow pace, they were both so worked up it didn’t take them long before they were tumbling over. As Liam came, he bit down on her shoulder to stifle the groans. They laid on the bed panting a moment before he rolled off and away to get cleaned up.

“God I miss you when you travel. I miss your mind as much as your body.”

After another minute she followed him to get cleaned up. “Well, you have two whole days to enjoy my body. We can have as much fun as you want.”

“Will that be possible?”

“We’ll just have to be creative.”


	10. Chapter 10

At six a.m. Penelope woke to her alarm going off and her boyfriend swearing vacation meant no alarms. She chuckled and slipped away to the bathroom and then stepped out into the living room following the scent of coffee brewing. In the kitchen she found Hotch contemplating the contents of the refrigerator. “Good morning.”

“I managed coffee, what will everyone want for breakfast.”

“Don’t worry about it Hotch, starting the coffee was enough. We are grown-ups, we can feed ourselves. And anyway, you are supposed to be resting and recovering. I promised your doctor that I would be waiting on you hand and foot.” She skirted around him and reached for cereal and milk. As she leaned in for the jug, her shirt slipped off her shoulder.

Hotch smirked, “I see Liam got a proper welcome after all.”

Garcia’s eyes widened, “I, I, you hush.”

Hotch laughed. “Like you said, we are all grown-ups. “

Liam dragged into the room half awake. “Good morning. Pen, your shirt…”

“Too late.” She replied, “Crap has already been dished over it. At least it’s Aaron and not Derek. He wouldn’t let me hear the end of it ever.”

“Derek. Is this another of your team you are hiding?”

She passed him a mug of coffee. “Yes.”

“You really need to invite him to our next gathering Garcia. Let JJ and Emily get their opinions in and Morgan and Dave at him.”

Liam sat at the table, “am I going to get the talk with every member of your team?”

“No!”

Hotch laughed again, “No, Reid won’t.”

She leveled a glare at her boss, but it lacked any fire. “And you.”

“You’re right, and me. I stay blissfully un-involved. It’s how I have survived this long.” He decided to change the subject, “When do you want to leave?”

“Half an hour? The car is mostly loaded from last night, so we just need to get changed and go. Are you sure you’ll be okay cramped in the back see the whole time?”

“I can stretch out, it won’t be too bad.”

\---

The drive over had been smooth, Hotch only got a little stiff. Once at the beach, they had established his walker wasn’t really made for the sand and instead he ended up being helped out to where Liam had set up umbrellas and chairs. He spent most of the morning in the shade, watching families arrive and take to the sand and water. One family, with a trio of tow-headed children, had been working on a spectacular sand castle and were now searching the sand for shells.  
As lunch approached, he realized he hadn’t seen Penelope or Liam for some time and scanned the area to see where they’d gone. Finally he spotted them out in the water. They were in up to their shoulders, clinging to one another the way new lovers do. After several minutes, Hotch got the impression there was more happening out among the waves than just chatting and he wasn’t sure if he was more embarrassed that he’d been watching or appalled that they might be doing what he suspected. 

He went back to watching the families, who didn’t notice the couple out bobbing in the waves, and decided that he and Jack needed another trip to the beach. He suspected his schedule was going to be a lot more predictable from now on. He had tried to not think about it too much, but facts were at the moment he didn’t have the strength to grip much of anything with his right hand. If a pencil was a struggle, his gun wasn’t going to be possible. Not to mention the strength required to actually pull the trigger. Profilers weren’t required to carry, but he’d worn his sidearm and backup piece for so many years, they had become a natural extension of himself.  
He was the unit chief, he wasn’t required to be out running down unsubs either. Many others holding similar positions guided from the desk, so it was possible, he just wasn’t used to sending his team into battle without leading from the front. He pondered the idea of maintaining a more passive role with the team. Staying in the precincts and offices, sticking to interrogations. Reid used to stay behind often, less so now. JJ stayed behind almost all the time as liaison and Rossi occasionally has days where running down the bad guy was more than he could manage. But when push came to shove, all the members were able to step up. Would he be able to do so anymore? His speech still slurred, though Garcia hadn’t commented at all, and it would be bad for it to start up in an interrogation. Perhaps this was his time to step back and approach things in a new way.

The sound of someone dropping onto the towel beside him broke him from his reverie. “You look like you’re thinking awfully hard there.”

He turned and studied her profile, “I’m fairly certain what may or may not have happened was a crime.”

Garcia waggled her eyebrows at him, “Prove your suspicions.”

“I don’t really want to.”

“Okay, back to my statement.” She waited to see if he would talk.

“What happens if this is as good as I get?”

“Oh.” She contemplated the waves. “I think it’s a little early to say how far you will improve, but… You will still be Jack’s dad. Which has always been priority number one anyway. You can go back to coaching soccer, actually attend all of his activities, make him dinner every night and help with all his homework.”

“You make it sound like this was a good thing.”

“Oh no. I never want any of you guys hurt, but for your relationship with your son, I don’t see anything negative. He’s not a baby or toddler. He has a fairly good amount of independent skills and you are capable of everything else, so I doubt Jack will have to adjust to the new you.”

“And work?”

“We adapt.” She turned as Liam approached and fell at her side. “Hey Hon, you want to go grab lunch and we can eat here?”

“Sure, just give me a minute. Running in sand is harder that it looks.”

Hotch shook his head.

Garcia leaned over and whispered in her boyfriend’s ear, “He is also the most observant person in the world.”

Liam reddened.

Hotch decided to have pity and move on to a new topic. “Before one of you get food, could I get some help to the restroom? I’m not sure I could manage across the sand.”

Liam stood and helped the older man up and held his arm as they made their way slowly down the beach.

“I’m happy that Penelope found someone like you to share her life with. Everyone deserves happiness and something outside of work.”

“She’s easy to love. I was a bit nervous, she wouldn’t say anything about the people she works with. I didn’t know how you would feel about me intruding. I know she said you told her to invite me down, but I didn’t know if it was some sort of territory thing. Trying to see if I was a threat.”

“Garcia is something between the crazy little sister and the nutty aunt.” They arrived at the edge of the building and Hotch held to one wall and managed the rest of the way alone. Minutes later he was back and they were making their way back across the sand.

As they approached their spot, Garcia handed her boyfriend some cash, “Here, grab us a bunch of whatever sounds delightfully unhealthy.”

“No problem.” Liam took off at a jog to the beach snack bar.

Hotch sat down next to Garcia on the towels. “I am trying to be a good sport about all of this, but it really is hard to have someone else helping me do the simplest things.”

“Can I be honest?” She waited for a nod, “I expected you to be a lot grumpier about it. I expected more anger. I know it’s a normal part of the recovery process and there is the teeniest, tiniest part of me worried you are burying that and eventually it will explode.”

He studied her a moment, “If that happens, I’m sorry.”

“I’m a big girl and I get it. But it sounds like we could be back home in a week and then it will be Jessica or Jack with you, not me.”

“Yeah.”

“How have you enjoyed you morning so far? Is it getting too hot sitting here?”

It took him a minute to follow the change in topic. “No, it’s been okay. The sun is coming around now though. I had thought about going in, but the waves might be a problem and I don’t really feel like being dragged out by a lifeguard.”


	11. Chapter 11

He waited as the elevator made it’s slow ascent to the sixth floor. Hotch had been back in Virginia a month and today was his first day back in the office. For now he still wasn’t allowed to fly with the team, nor could he carry a gun, but it felt good to be back at work. When the doors opened, he slowly stepped off the elevator and made his way toward the bullpen. Slow, measures steps, no rushing. He had been practicing walking both with and without the cane for weeks and had been hoping he would have been without it by his first day back. As he entered through the glass doors, he looked for his team. It seemed they were in the conference room. He decided to head to his office first.

Rossi noticed movement through the windows as JJ talked, “Hotch is here,” he interrupted.

The whole team turned and watched as their leader slowly made his way up the steps and into his office.

“It’s good to see him back here,” JJ voiced.

“He still has the cane. I wonder how long he’ll need it?” Reid added.

“Don’t all rush him at once. I figure he’ll hole up in there till lunch. Let him get his bearings and then the rest of you can check on his yourselves.” Rossi stood to leave.

“Rest of us? What about you?” Reid countered.

“Me? I’m going to go remind him that we are all happy to see him.” He sauntered out of the room.

\---

Hotch didn’t look up at the knock at his door; he knew who it would be, “Dave.”

“Aaron.” Rossi leaned against the frame and studied his friend a bit, “You look good.”

“You might as well sit, Dave.”

Rossi smirked and moved to sit in a chair, “How was being home with Jessica and Jack for a month?”

“Jack was great. He understood I had some limitations, but we got to do stuff we haven’t in some time and went a few places he’s been wanting to go.”

“And Jessica?”

“I have decided Jessica is secretly Garcia’s equally evil twin.”

Both men chuckled. “So she kept you in line with your recovery?”

“She is still driving me around. I haven’t been cleared to drive yet. She dropped me off this morning and when I said I would call her when I was ready or if one of you were giving me a lift she informed me that I had until 6 P.M. to call or she was on her way anyway.”

The older man nodded, “So you can’t drive and you can’t fly. Any idea when you will be back to travelling with the team?”

“At least a month. Until then I will stay here and work alongside Garcia and attempt to not be in her way.”

“And once you can go back in the field?”

“I will likely be able to fly before drive, that could be six months from now or more, and getting cleared to carry will be the last thing. So once I can fly, I will still be in the local precinct running point.”

“And the cane?”

“The doctors say to not push myself. One said there was a chance I will never be completely rid of it. If I am in a place where I feel comfortable being without it like at home or in a hotel room, here in my office, that’s fine.”

Rossi nodded again and was quiet.

“So, when are the others coming in?”

“I told them to give you until after lunch. “

\---

Months later Hotch was attempting to navigate the jet stairs with his cane, briefcase, heavy coat and go bag. He heard footsteps coming up behind him and froze.

“Hotch, let me help you,” Reid put his hand out waiting for permission.

After some hesitation, Hotch nodded and relinquished the bag and briefcase. Once the two men entered the jet, he looked over his shoulder, “Thanks.”

“I remember trying to get on and off with a cane. The only way to master it is to let other people carry stuff.”

“I’ll remember that.” He moved to the back and sank onto the couch and watched the younger man sit across from him.

“We’re all glad to have you back. What does Jack think?”

“He seems to be glad we are back into a routine. I told him we were headed to Colorado and he’s jealous because we will get to see snow.”

“They’re calling for another string of blizzards; hopefully we don’t get stuck there.” They both looked up as the remainder of the team boarded the jet.

Morgan had apparently heard Reid’s final comment, “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of some snow Pretty Boy.”

“You have to remember, I’m from Vegas, snow is not natural.”

“It can’t be any worse than being in Chicago. I remember snow drifts higher than my head.”

Emily snorted, “You should see what they can get in Europe and Asia, some places get so bad you have no chance if you get stuck.”

\---

Four days later they knew who the unsub was. Jason Evans was a 45 year old, unemployed man who was exacting revenge on anyone who seemed to remind him in some way of the things he’d lost. When he’d lost his job, he’d eventually lost his home and with that went his wife and four children. He was a man on the edge. He was also a man that was proving hard to track down.

Morgan pressed his phone and waited for the call to connect, “Garcia, this last address was a bust as well.”

“Oh, sweetie, I don’t have anymore information to give you right now. I’m sorry. I’m still digging to see if some of these old knowns have potential.”

“Thanks, Baby Girl. Let me know when you’ve got something. Hey, have you heard from the others?”

“Em and Rossi were the next town over following a lead, they are actually headed back toward you to meet up and decide what move to make next. I would say they’re 20 out.”

Morgan looked at Reid next to him, “Want to grab a bite while we wait?”

“I could eat. There was a place about two miles back.”

“Did you hear that, Baby Girl?”

“Food, two miles, I will tell them to meet you there.”

Morgan disconnected the call and headed off.

“It looks like that storm should be rolling in soon.”

“How soon?”

“I think we’ll have enough time to get back to the station. I’ll call and let Emily know to watch out and not make any unnecessary stops.”

\---

Two hours later JJ was watching the storm out the window when Hotch’s computer beeped. The pair had sought shelter back at the hotel, figuring it would be more comfortable than the precinct. Garcia’s face popped on the screen, “I can’t find either vehicle.”

“What do you mean you can’t find either vehicle?”

“I tried pinging the SUVs and all four phones, but I can’t get a current signal. I think the storm rolled in faster than they expected, but.”

Hotch stared at the computer, “But?”

“But they are predicting this storm and the one behind it to last five or six days. There will be a small window between the two storms, but they are advising everyone to stay where they are.”

JJ swore under her breath, “Can you keep trying to locate them Garcia?”

“I will continue searching until I find something. I do know Morgan and Reid were less than a mile from a diner, they might have tried to push on and made it in time? Emily and Rossi were pretty much in the middle of nowhere headed to meet them.”

“Given the opportunity, they would make attempts to continue toward their agreed destinations.” Hotch answered. “Keep us posted, Garcia.” He disconnected the call.

JJ watched him mull over the knowledge that two thirds of his team was out in a blizzard, stranded. “It will do no one any good for us to attempt a rescue, Hotch.”

“I know,” he replied softly.

“Morgan and Emily have amazing survival skills. Reid and Rossi will both be good for helping make plans. They aren’t helpless.” She watched as he awkwardly started to pace. “Come sit.”

He continued his path for another minute before reluctantly sinking onto the other bed. 

“We should order room service before the power goes out.” She waited until she got a nod before picking up the menu and the phone.

He listened to her talk to the front desk and hang up, “So, what do you want to do?”

“For now we can watch movies.”

\---

Morgan peered out into the darkening whiteness as the lanky form of his coworker slid between the seats, thrusting a blanket his way. “Thanks. I hope the building will block some of the wind and keep it from getting as cold.”

“I hope so too.” He settled in the back seat. “One of the officers who rode with us this morning left his coat in here! It’s big, so it could fit either of us.”

“I wonder how far Rossi and Prentiss got? Garcia had said they were travelling through nothing getting to us.”

“Stopping where they are is probably their best option. I know Garcia will be looking for any sign or signal from our phones or the car and sharing it with the others. Any idea how long this storm should last?”

“A couple days I think. It looked bad on the radar the locals kept checking.”

Reid snuggled down into his blanket, “I would like to go on the record now and say if you complain once about this storm, I will remind you of it for the rest of forever.”

Morgan chuckled and shook his head, “Fair enough.”

\---

Rossi had been driving along at a crawl for the past hour. They’d only made it a couple miles, but moving forward gave them something to be busy with.

“At some point we’ll run out of gas doing this.” Emily pointed out.

“I know, I am hoping to find some semblance of shelter before that happens. A house or store, something. As long as we take it slow, we should be fine. Do you have any guesses how much further the diner Morgan and Reid were headed to is?”

“We had made it about fifteen miles before the storm hit and I would say we’ve gone two, maybe three, since then? So if that’s the case, we’re no more than three or four miles away, maybe less. But we won’t be able to see signs to know when and where to turn.”

But, we know it’s at least two miles from here. So we drive another two miles and figure out where we are on the map I’m sure Reid has squirreled away in the back somewhere. We can find a road sign.”

She studied him a minute, “Someone will have to get out and look at it.”

He frowned, “I know.”

Two miles later the pair rock, paper, scissored for the unlucky job of reading the street sign in the corner. Emily lost and muttered to herself as she bundled up and pushed out into the snow as fast as she could. A minute later she popped back in and sank into her seat. “Second and Ashland.”

Rossi held up the map he’d found shoved under the back of the driver’s seat. “Let’s look.” It only took them a minute to ascertain they were headed in the right direction and only had another mile before they would reach the meet up point.

\---

JJ exited the bathroom quietly and started to clean up their room service. The hotel had back-up generators and for now they were holding strong. One advantage of being in a hotel instead of a motel like they often got was that with interior halls and rooms, they weren’t quite so trapped. As she finished cleaning up, she studied her boss who had fallen asleep on the bed. They had gotten used to his slightly slower paced speech, his southern drawl came out more these days, and no one mentioned the moments of unsteadiness and how he sat instead of stood whenever the opportunity was available. They were all just thankful to have him back. After a minute she decided all that could be done for the night was sleep, so she got ready and went to bed, turning off the lights.

Hotch woke up several hours later, still in his suit, in a dark room that he didn’t remember being his. He sat up and tried to remember where he was, then he heard the wind whistling outside. In the dark, he could see a form asleep under the covers of the next bed and it took him a moment to remember he had been in JJ’s room.   
He got up and slowly made his way toward the bathroom, when he went to flip on the light he realized at some point in the night the power had finally gone out. That’s when he noticed a chill to the room as well. When Hotch reentered the room, he searched the closet and found spare blankets and added one to each bed, mindful to not wake his sleeping coworker. He shed his suit down to his long sleeve undershirt, boxers, and socks and quickly slid under the covers of the bed he’d been sleeping on. He figured JJ would understand why he decided to stay when she woke up.

\---

Morgan and Reid had drifted off to sleep as it got dark out, both wrapped in coats and blankets. Sometime later they both jolted awake to the sound of a car horn that sounded close even as the storm swallowed up the sound. “What the” Morgan started.

“Someone is out there Morgan. Hit the horn once so they know someone is here.”

Morgan hit the horn twice in quick succession. A minute later a reply came in a series of uneven honks. Morgan’s face twisted in confusion and he raised an eyebrow at his friend. “Do you think someone needs help?”

Reid held up his hand for silence, “I think it’s Morse code, but it’s not an SOS.” He listened as the pattern repeated, “B…A…U! BAU! I think it’s Rossi and Prentiss!”

“Are you sure kid?”

“Yeah yeah yeah! Emily must know it! They made it to us! We need to tell them we understand and it’s us!”

“What do I do?”

“Beep once and they’ll stop.” He waited for Morgan to beep the horn. A minute later it was silent except for the wind. “Okay, now long short long.” He paused, “Two short, short long short short,” he paused again, “two long and a short, then three long.” He waited again, “short long short, then one short.” He waited again.

“What did I just say?” Morgan asked.

“Kilgore. Emily will know it’s us. We should unlock the doors, they may try and come over here.” Reid added as Morgan reached up and hit the locks. 

Several minutes later, without any sign of their friends, suddenly the two passenger side doors popped open and a pile of blankets lunged into the SUV that sounded oddly like their friends. After a moment of hard breathing and layers being unwrapped, the two wayward team members grinned at their friends.

Reid grinned back and then yawned, “Good to see you guys, but I was asleep.”

“We were a bit worried you two got stuck somewhere.”

“Rossi kept us moving forward, we weren’t really all that far away and it was a straight shot. Only took a couple hours at the pace we had going.”

“Well, it’s good to know you two are safe.”


	12. Chapter 12

JJ woke to the brightness of the white-out still going on outside the window in her face. It took her eyes a minute to adjust and then she tossed back the covers to use the bathroom and the cold air hit her. She squeaked and rushed to the bathroom, tossing down a towel to keep her feet off the cold tiles. As she hurried back to her bed, she saw movement from the room’s other occupant out of the corner of her eye.

“Good morning.”

“Morning. I wish there was coffee. It is freezing in here!”

Hotch sat up slowly and rubbed his face with one hand. “Power went out sometime over night. I would have gone back to my room, but I didn’t know what time it was and my laptop and everything are here.”

“That’s fine.” JJ wrapped the additional blanket on her bed around her shoulders. “I wonder if room service would be an option.”

“Call and see. Excuse me.” He shuffled out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

Later that afternoon Hotch was knocking on JJ’s door. He had left earlier to go to his own room and collect his things. It made more sense, for now, to just stick to one room. JJ let him in and handed him a mug, “It’s tea, I had the kitchen send up a thermos of hot water. Figured it would be better if we didn’t just chug coffee for days.”

Hotch chuckled, “We’d end up bouncing around like Reid.”

“How do you think they are all doing?”

“I don’t know,” he frowned into his drink. “I’m trying not to worry too much.”

\---

The quartet had spent the day exchanging stories and laughing at each other’s youthful antics. Reid had made sure that the SUV got started and stopped in proper intervals and heat and ventilation were monitored. Meals had comprised of the sharing of snack bars and various things that always ended up in the vehicles while out on cases. Emily remembered that before the storm, JJ had stopped at a convenience store and volunteered to rush over and retrieve the loot from the other SUV.

As evening approached, Morgan checked his phone again for service, to no avail, before they all huddled together to get some sleep.

\---

Morning of the third day arrived and the wind seemed to not be quite so loud. Reid pressed his face to the window, “I think the storm is letting up, guys.” 

“It’s been two days; it can’t possibly have much more.” Emily added from inside the same blanket cocoon. 

“If it lets up enough we can find better shelter. Not sure if the other SUV will start in this though.”

“We can come back for it,” Rossi shrugged, “Better to stick together I think.”

They watched and waited as the snow seemed to blow a little less hard each hour.

\---

Hotch awoke for the second morning of not knowing where the rest of his team was. It only took him a second to realize this morning was different than the previous one, however. At some point in their evening, he and JJ had decided that sharing a bed would keep them both warmer, and they’d been right, it was downright toasty under the covers. Except now he was finding that he had JJ snuggled alongside him and there was no good way to move without waking her up. He took a deep breath and hoped that in her mostly asleep state, JJ would shift easily. “JJ, I need to get up.” He gently shook her shoulder. 

After a moment she shifted and then moved slightly away allowing him room to move.

He took a moment to work out the stiffness and get his balance before heading to the bathroom. The power was still out, so he had to leave the door cracked open slightly to be able to see. After relieving himself, Hotch decided to attempt a quick shower before his roommate woke up. 

\---

JJ woke to the sound of the shower running. After a minute she realized there was still no power, so it was unlikely there was any hot water, so she wondered what Hotch was doing try to shower in what had to be little more than ice water. She could tell from the sound that the bathroom door wasn’t all the way shut, so she stayed in the bed to give him privacy.  
Several minutes later, Hotch stepped out of the bathroom.

“Good morning.”

He startled and looked up at her, “Morning. Sorry if I woke you up. I thought something of a shower would help.” He stumbled slightly as he made his way to the chair. The cold made his right side a bit more stiff and uncoordinated.

“Wasn’t it freezing though?” JJ pulled the comforter around her. “I think the snow is easing up.” She pointed out the window.

Hotch turned and looked the way she motioned and sure enough, it seemed to be a little better than the night before. “Think we can reach Garcia?”

“Maybe. Would you hand me the laptop?”

Hotch picked up the device but then gave her a raised eyebrow.

“I’m cold and not ashamed to admit it. Please bring it here and I’ll call her while you get dressed.” She waited a moment before he finally handed it over and then she dialed her friend. On the second try, the call connected. “Morning Pen.”

“Morning you guys. How are you holding up?”

“Fine, cold. Power is out, the generator only runs the elevators, kitchen, and front desk apparently. Have you heard from any of the others yet?”

“No, but let me look for a signal.” Garcia typed on her computer. “Well, good news. It looks like Rossi and Emily found Morgan and Reid. Their SUVs are pinging right next to each other.”

JJ looked over the top of her screen at Hotch, “You hear that?”

“Yeah, can you get them on a phone?”

More typing sounded across the line, “Rossi’s must be dead. There’s no signal from it.”

“Figures,” Hotch snorted.

“The other three phones are signaling the same coordinates, so maybe they all got in one truck? Let me dial Reid and see if someone picks up.”

\---

The four were watching the snow come nearly to a stop when a cell phone blasted to life, causing Spencer to fumble the last of the chips to the floor. “What the!” He snatched up his phone, “It’s Garcia.” He pressed connect.

“Good morning Mama!” Morgan greeted.

“What the hell did you do to my phone?” Reid demanded.

Garcia ignored them both. “Who all is there?”

“Rossi and I are here too, Garcia.” Emily answered. “I’m guessing hearing from you means we will be able to get out of this mess soon?”

“You will have a small window of clearer weather, maybe two or three hours. I suggest you make best efforts to head back to the hotel, JJ and Hotch are there.”

“You’ve been in touch with them then.” Rossi stated.

“Yeah. Power is out in the hotel except for basics, but the kitchen is a basic apparently so there is hot food and drink.”

“Okay,” Morgan sat up straighter, “Tell them we are headed their way.”

“Will do. Garcia out.”

\---

Hotch had listened to half of the conversation through the laptop. He got enough of it to know his team was safe and together.

“Bossman, did you catch that?” Garcia asked.

“Yes, thank you. Please keep track of them and let us know if anything comes up.”

“Will do.” Garcia finished before vanishing from the screen.

JJ moved the laptop away and watched Hotch working on the buttons of his shirt. “Would you like some help?”

“No. I just… The cold makes it a little harder to get things to cooperate and these buttons are…I feel like a kid if someone helps.”

JJ raised her eyebrows, but didn’t comment on the last bit. “Okay, not a problem, just offered.” 

He continued his efforts several more minutes before heaving a sigh, “Please. If it’s not too much trouble, would you?”

She emerged from the covers and padded over to him. “It’s never too much trouble, Hotch.” She started to go on, but saw he was still a bit uncomfortable with the situation.

“Thank you.” He said softly when she finished.

“No problem,” She reached out and put a hand on his arm. “How about we do some walking around until the others arrive? Get our blood flowing, that will help us stay warm? Maybe we can see if we can be nosey down near the kitchen.”

“Sure.” He cleared his throat, but didn’t look up.

JJ frowned and moved away to get dressed. She hurried to get ready and then they stepped out into the hall. JJ walked slowly to accommodate Hotch’s slightly slower gate. They didn’t discuss it, everyone had just adapted to his new needs over recent months. 

Apparently Hotch had been observing the situation as well, “I know you guys have slowed down for me.”

“I’m sorry?”

“You used to have to hurry to keep up with me. Now you slow down for me.”

“Hotch. It’s nothing. To be honest, trying to pace you in heels was always a bit of a pain.” She smirked at him. 

“Did you know, I’m supposed to have another assessment soon about my ability to be in the field? I think they may send someone in to observe and maybe to talk to each of you about it. I may have to go to a desk job.”

“Well, you can still be Unit Chief from behind a desk. Section Chief is behind a desk. Well, how out in the field do they mean? You could be more like liaison and stay at the precinct like you have been doing. When Garcia comes along, she isn’t armed and profilers aren’t required to carry anyway. What do you want to happen?”

“I want to stay with the team. I want to be able to travel. The doctors think my mobility might be at a plateau which would mean there will always be stuff I can’t do for myself. I don’t want to end up one of these has-beens who is kept around because of what he used to be.”

“So you want to be a contributing part of the team. Okay.” She shrugged.

“Okay?” He faltered a step as he looked her way.

“We are collectively seven of the brightest minds around. We are a family. If that’s what you want to happen, then that’s what we will make happen. We will adapt. If they come and see that your current abilities in no way hinder our functioning, then they won’t have a leg to stand on.”

“Will everyone else be willing to say that?”

“I don’t see why not.” She stopped as they reached the elevator bay. The woman at the front desk had said the elevator was on the generator, but now it was clearly out of operation. She glanced toward the stairs and bit her lip.

Hotch looked around and frowned, “It’s only three floors and it’s down. We can take the stairs.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

\---

Morgan and Rossi had decided to drive both SUVs back to the hotel. It was slow going, but they were making good time, all things considered. At the very least, if they got stranded again, they would all be together. Reid was in charge of the map, counting off miles and major landmarks, keeping track of their route. 

“It’s an hour till Garcia said the next storm will hit. At the rate was are going, we should reach the hotel in fifty-five minutes.”

Morgan looked over at his friend. “That’s cutting it awful close.”

“But by then we may be close enough to pick up speed?”

“We’ll see.”

Reid glanced over his shoulder and out the back window at the other vehicle. “Think they can handle going faster?”

Morgan gave the truck some more gas, “One way to find out.”

\---

JJ had quietly stayed by Hotch’s side down the three floors of stairs. There had been a couple moments where he had teetered on the verge of tumbling down, but a soft hand on his elbow had kept him focused on the task at hand.

They sought shelter in lobby near the dining room nursing grilled cheese sandwiches and hot cocoa. Both parents had chuckled at the choice of go-to comfort food for cold weather. 

Hotch watched the wind start to pick up again, “I wonder if they’ll make it.”

“I hope so. I would rather we all be stranded together than separated.”

“Me too.” They watched in silence another twenty minutes before the shadow of two SUVs could be made out in the parking lot. “Do you think that’s them?”

JJ stood and went to the window. “Maybe?”

They watched as four figures dashed across the pavement, seeking shelter. It only took a moment to recognize the figures as their wayward team mates. Reid approached JJ and wrapped her in a bear hug, then laughed when she squealed from the touch of the cold fabric. 

After a moment of chattering and re-connection, Morgan looked over at the table the duo had been seated at. “Hot food?”

“Nothing fancy, grilled cheese.” JJ answered.

“Sounds good to me!” He exclaimed and headed toward the dining area.

Rossi frowned at the empty plates, “I think I will talk to them about whipping up something better. Maybe they will let me in the kitchen tonight.”

Hotch latched onto his friend’s shoulder, “Go for it, you might want to just hang out there. No power in the rooms means no heat. JJ and I stayed in one room the past few days.” He turned to face Emily, “You may want to consider doubling up with her now.”

Reid was glancing around the lobby, “JJ, does your room have a balcony?”

“Yeah. That window gets mighty cold which doesn’t help.”

Reid nodded, “I have an idea.” He scurried off.


End file.
